Below the Fold - caught in a web of… fears?!

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WELLNESS CHECK
This edition leans...

Hey Below the Fold fam,

Recently in our personal lives, we’ve been hearing more and more friends share their fear of spiders. A few days later, we came across a solution we knew we had to share — especially given how incredibly common this fear is across the globe.

TODAY'S STORY

How augmented reality could help your fear of spiders
Mon Sep 20

Treating arachnophobia, or the extreme fear of spiders, has historically been difficult. The most common treatment is exposure therapy, in which patients are guided through therapeutic exposure to gradually break down the phobia — in this case, spiders. Problem is, arachnophobes are too petrified to face a real spider even in a controlled setting.

But now, a Switzerland-based team has released a mobile app that simulates exposure therapy through augmented reality. So far, they’ve found people are more willing to try this virtual form, knowing the spider isn’t real. The app presents patients with real life versions of their fears through nine levels, each getting you closer and closer to the “spider.”

Still, some users complain the spider looks too real for them to handle, which is why the app provides a free test to allow users to first see if they can handle the therapy. The team also recommends that anyone with an extreme fear should only use the app under professional supervision. Overall, the trial study of 66 participants showed that those who used the app were less fearful and less disgusted by spiders by the end.

Overall, mental health experts are hopeful that such virtual solutions can help fill the growing need for care. In the U.S., the shortage of mental health professionals leaves just 30 psychologists and 15.6 psychiatrists per 100,000 people. Rural counties are the most underserved, but the augmented reality format allows for more equitable access to care.

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Want to try the app for yourself? It can be downloaded on both the Apple and Google Play stores.

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Science Daily:
(Where we found this story)

2 weeks old | 8 minutes long

Good Therapy:

Shortage of mental health professionals
1 year old | 3 minutes long

ICYMI (AGAIN)

Friday: Driven out by Brexit, drivers are being wooed back to the U.K.
Thursday: California’s worsening drought
Wednesday: The E.U. may soon require a common charger

ASCII-ING ABOUT THE NEWS

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This A/R is creeping it too real.

Art Credit: Joan G. Stark

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Below the Fold - caught in a web of… fears?!

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